FEC approves N118m augmentation for Ose-Akwa Bridge in Anambra

 The Federal Executive Council (FEC), has approved and augmented by the sum of N118 million, the completion of the Ose-Akwa Bridge in Anambra.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed briefed State House correspondents on behalf the Minister of Works after the virtual FEC meeting anchored from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said that the augmentation amounted to a revised sum of N1.14 billion for the bridge.
“The Minister of Works presented a memorandum for the augmentation of the contract for the construction of Ose-Akwa Bridge in Anambra State.
“This contract was awarded to Messrs Horizon Construction Company Limited in the sum of N896.9 million.
“It is actually for the construction of a 90-metre long bridge with two-kilometre approach and the completion period is 12 months.
“It is important to note that this contract has already attained 87.9 per cent completion but was stalled in 2012 after 90-metre Bridge had been constructed.’’
Mohammed said that there was a huge flooding which made it impossible for the two-kilometre approach road to be constructed.
He said that the contractor approached the ministry to undertake the repair of the damage caused to the project and also to construct the road.
“The lapse in time and period has made the contract rate to be reviewed.
“So, accordingly Messrs Horizon Construction submitted augmentation for a repair job in the sum of N160 million which was more than 15 per cent; so it had to go through due process.
“Having sought and obtained presidential approval, the contract was finally approved and augmented by the sum of N118 million, thereby reversing the total contract to N1.14 billion.’’
More so, Mohammed said, the Minister of Finance presented a memo to council for the purchase of equipment for the Nigeria Customs Service.
He listed the equipment as 1,200 units of colour printers and desktop computers for human resources management system and accounting management systems across zones and area commands of the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to the minister, the sum of the contract is N623.7 million.
Mohammed also briefed State House correspondents on behalf of the Minister of Aviation.
He said the Aviation contract was approval for the revised estimated cost for the construction of Boeing 737 Full Flight Simulator Building for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
“The memo was actually for the review of the contract; the contract had already been awarded to Stabilini before for the sum of N983.4 million but it is being reviewed for the following reasons.
“There is a need to upgrade the electrical system to cover procurement of 2-number 500kVA power supply as against the 250KVA in the original contract and the need for the upgrading of power supply is because the two simulators will need 300KVA power as opposed to 250KVA.
“Also, to upgrade the power supply of the simulator building for the two simulators and also because the power supply for the building simulators are to be sourced now from a farther distance than what was anticipated.
“Before they thought that they could source the power with 60 metres to the building but now they have to move to about 80 metres to source the power and this was why the contract had to go up and the BPP approved N118 million increase in the project,’’ he said.